Walking on Air
by But a Chance
Summary: Just another Nick tale.


**Disclaimer: I don't own them, I just borrow occasionally. **

******This story was meant for the 2500 word Nick songfic challenge on the CSIfiles site, but it ended up going way over the word count, and I just couldn't bring myself to cut it down. The song for the challenge was "Believe it or Not" from the 80's show Greatest American Hero. All of that being said; I hope you enjoy the story. **

**Walking on Air**

Warm days and clean crisp nights always caused perfumed humidified vapors to rise up from the ground, and lay densely upon the backyard of Nick Stokes' modest home. He always relished these purging vapors after an agonizing shift at the Clark County Crime Lab, and this morning was no different. Halo's of sunlight created soft prisms of red, yellow, blue and purple, and welcomed him home as he opened the sliding glass door, and stood on the steps that led to his patio, a tall glass of orange juice in hand. Nick silently remained where he stood for a moment, and breathed in the earthy scent of early spring caressing the wetted air before he moved to the patio set to sit down.

"What a night." Nick said quietly to himself as he scrubbed a hand across his forehead.

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The evening began with a case that every member of law enforcement dreads…a missing child. When Nick Stokes and Ray Langston arrived on scene, Jim Brass informed them a five year old boy, named Tyler Caine, was missing. Jim said he posted an Amber alert, with the little information they had thus far, and patrols were out looking for the child. Given the neighborhood the CSI's were sent too, Nick made a few quick deductions.

"Let me guess, mom was too stoned to notice her son was missing." Nick said with disgust.

"Bingo Nicky; and it gets even better. Becca Caine, the mother, is more concerned with denying she does drugs than where her son disappeared to. She claims she **dosed** off on the couch sometime around 11 a.m., and when she woke up at **5 p.m.**, the boy was gone. Now here's the best part, she says the boy is always disappearing, but he usually shows up after a few hours, and that's why she didn't call the police right away."

"Usually shows up! The boy's five years old…what's wrong with her?" Dr. Ray angrily exclaimed.

"She's an addict; they're more worried about their next high, not their kids. It's always this way, seen it more times than I can count." Nick stated.

"How could she be so careless with something so precious?" Ray questioned, but Jim and Nick didn't respond, what could they say.

"From what I could see there's no signs of foul play, but I'll leave you guys check it out. We're talking to neighbors, and canvasing the neighborhood. We're also trying to locate other family members, maybe little Tyler's with one of them. All we can do is hold out hope at this point."

"Thanks Jim, we'll search the apartment, and see what we come up with." Nick said.

"Ok guys; let me know if you find anything."

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Nick and Ray began their search of the residence in hopes of finding any clue to the small boy's whereabouts. The tiny one bedroom apartment held few furnishings, but an abundance of garbage lay strewn across the floors. The living room consisted of a battered and broken futon, two wooden crates serving as end tables, and one lamp, no shade. In the kitchen an army of cockroaches scurried about the sink, amongst the dirty dishes and plastic cups. Ray opened the refrigerator door only to find an expired carton of milk, and moldy loaf of bread. _My God, this poor child, it's no wonder he ran away._ Ray thought as he scanned around for any clue.

Nick began his search with the small, disgustingly filthy, bathroom. The stench of the room would have sent most people gaging from the apartment, but after years as an investigator, Nick's ole factories and strong stomach were accustom to much worse. Brown scum clung to the sides of the sink and tub, and the toilet looked as if it hadn't been flushed in weeks, let alone cleaned. The medicine cabinet revealed a bottle of over-the-counter cold medicine, a child's toothbrush (no toothpaste) and a box of tampons. He bagged the toothbrush in case a DNA sample was needed later, but left the rest. _Poor kid, you never stood a chance. _Nick thought as he left the bathroom, and headed into the bedroom. This room wasn't any better than the others, the glaring naked bulb, from the ceiling fixture, only amplified the depth of refuse. Smelly piles of sweaty and dirty clothes lay strewn about on the floor. A soiled mattress sat on the floor, with no sheets, no pillows, and no blankets covering it. Nick snapped several over-all photos of the room, he knew child services, or the D.A.'s office would need them, depending on how the case turned out. He then began searching through the piles of clothes, and found a few items that appeared to be little Tyler's things. He bagged the few worn items in case those too were needed later. By the mattress he noticed a small metal tray tucked slightly beneath the far corner. He snapped a few photos, and with a gloved hand, pulled the tray free of its hiding spot. Nick just shook his head.

"Hey Jim, can you come in here for a minute?" Nick yelled out. Brass and Langston entered the bedroom, and Nick held up the tray filled with the mother's drug paraphernalia.

"Mommy dearest lied." Nick announced, and both Jim and Ray shook their heads in disgust. "I'll bag this shit, but I can already tell you its meth."

"I'll have Mitch take her into custody, maybe when we haul her ass in, her memory will clear, but I doubt it." Brass said.

"I'm going to finish up in here." Nick said, as the two men left the room.

There were few crimes that set-off all cops and investigators, and cases of child abuse and neglect was at the top of everyone's list. _Fucking meth bitch!_ Nick's mind screamed, as he attempted to reign in his anger. He picked up his camera again, and began taking more photos of the bedroom. He definitely wanted documentation, of the enormity of the conditions, to ensure this woman never gained custody of her son again…if he was still alive.

When Nick finished with photos, he went to the closet door on the far left wall. Pulling the flashlight from his vest, he shined the light into the dark space. A few pieces of clothing hung on the rod, and two shoeboxes sat on a shelf above, but what tore at Nick's heart was the tattered blue baby blanket, and a grimy stuffed teddy bear tucked in the far corner. _So this is where you hid little man when mom was on a binge._ Once again, Nick snapped photos for documentation, and then he carefully removed Tyler's prized possessions, and bagged them too.

Nick reached up and grabbed the boxes off the shelf to examine their contents. The first box was empty, but the second box contained photos of a younger version of the woman in the other room, who was now screaming and fighting as she was being taken into custody. At one time she was an attractive woman, and definitely drug free. The photos showed what appeared to be a happy family, laughing and smiling, but Nick knew pictures could often be deceiving. He rummaged through a few more photos, and in the bottom of box, he ran across a worn address book. He set the box on the floor, and began paging through the names and addresses inside. The first pages contained numbers with nicknames (aliases) attached to them. But, midway through, a list of names and numbers were circled, and the word family was written beside it. Nick scanned the numbers, and realized the area codes were all California numbers, LA vicinity to be exact. Nick grabbed up the box and address book, and headed out into the living room.

"I found something else Jim. It looks like at one time our meth mom had a happy life." Nick said, as he handed the shoebox to Brass.

"That's more than her kid ever had. What else you got Nicky?"

"An address book, most the numbers are more than likely drug contacts, but there is a list of family numbers. Those numbers are all LA area codes. I'm going to call a few, and see if I can get some more information."

"Good, and who knows, maybe someone from the family came here and picked the kid up days ago."

"It's a long shot, but it's all we got right now."

Nick headed out to his Denali for a quiet place to call Becca's family. The first number he dialed was no longer in service, the second number no longer belonged to the name listed, but the third number finally reached someone on the list of family names.

"Hello."

"Hi, is this Tee Wyman?"

"No one calls me Tee anymore. Who is this?"

"Ma'am my name is Nick Stokes, I'm a Criminologist with Clark County Nevada, and I'm calling in regards to Becca Caine, and her son Tyler."

"Oh please tell me they're ok, we've been searching for them for over two years."

"Ms. Wyman I regret to tell you, but Tyler disappeared from his home earlier today, and we're trying to locate him. Do you have any information that may help us find him?"

"Oh my God no…not Tyler. Is…is Becca dead?"

"No ma'am, but she has been taken into custody."

"And Tyler's gone, he's missing?"

"Yes ma'am, I'm afraid that's correct. His mother said he often runs away, but eventually returns. Ms. Wyman, Tyler's been missing for quite a few hours now, and we need any help you can give us."

"I told her to leave him with me. I told her I'd take care of him. Why didn't she do it?"

"Ma'am I need information, and I need it now, recriminations can wait till later. Do you know if Tyler's father is in his life, do you know his name?"

"Tyler's father's name is Mark Caine, and he was always trouble, he's the one who got Becca started on drugs. Mom and dad tried to get her away from him, but she wouldn't listen. She argued she was madly in love with him, and they didn't understand. When Caine learned she was pregnant, he kicked her to the street, and she never saw him again. About a year ago, I saw on the news that the bastard died in some bar fight."

"Do you have any idea why your sister came to Las Vegas? Did she come here with anyone?"

"I have no idea Officer Stokes (Nick didn't correct the Officer designation.) One day she came to my place, and said she was leaving town. That's when I told her to leave Tyler with me, and once she was settled he could come live with her. She said no, but not to worry, she'd be in contact. That was the last time any of the family heard from her. I'm sorry; I'm not being helpful at all."

"That's ok Ms. Wyman, I understand. We're searching for Tyler, and we'll contact you as soon as we receive any additional information. Please know we're doing everything in our power to find your nephew."

"I'm going to contact my parents. I know they'll want to come to Las Vegas as soon as possible. Where should we go when we arrive?"

"It's best your family stays in LA ma'am, we'll contact you with any information."

"Please, you don't understand, we have to be there, we have to be there for Tyler."

"I do understand. When your family arrives here, go to the Downtown Area Command Center on North 9th Street. A post has been set up there to collect all information regarding Tyler. I'll notify them that you and your family will be arriving. If you have any questions or further information you can contact the command post at 702-555-1920, and they'll help you out. "

"Thank you so much Officer Stokes, and we'll be there as soon as we can. Please thank the rest of the officers for us too."

"Will do ma'am, and is there another number we can reach you at in case we receive information before you arrive?"

"Oh yes, it's 310-444-2131, and thank you again."

Nick ended the call, and proceeded back to the apartment to relay the information back to Jim. Brass was surprised by the news, and pleased to hear the family was so concerned…that wasn't always the case. Thoughts of Ellie rushed through his mind, but he quickly pushed them aside. While Nick was speaking with the family, Ray Langston finished the search of the apartment, but discovered no additional evidence. Nick decided to send Ray back to the lab with the few pieces of evidence they collected thus far. With nothing more to do forensically, Nick decided to join Brass, and teams of patrol units, in searching for little Tyler.

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Every available officer was searching for Tyler, some coming in on their off-time to help. Hours earlier, the patrol units began to search the neighborhood around the apartment, but when that turned up nothing, they began an ever spiraling out pattern. Search and rescue dogs and handlers found Tyler's scent trail once, but then the trail went cold. Frustration swelled for every member of the search teams, Jim and Nick included. It was almost 2:00 a.m., the outside temperature had dropped to a chilly forty degree's, and now Tyler risked death due to exposure to the cold.

"Where the hell are you Tyler?" Jim declared.

"We're going to find him Jim…we're going to find him alive." Nick stated, though his optimism was waning fast.

"I want to kick his mother's fucking ass." Jim spewed.

"Get in line man, cuz it's a long one." Nick supposed.

"No shit. Hey did Catherine tell you what she said when they were interrogating her. The mother said it wasn't her fault he ran away, that the boy was just like his father, and always disappearing. How fucked up is that?"

"Totally fucked up, and I bet Catherine ripped the woman a new after that." Nick conjectured.

"From what I understand she did just that, and then some." Jim laughed.

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The constant chatter of the two-way radio pervaded the interior space of Brass' sedan, as he and Nick scanned street after street, alley after alley, building after building. Jim and Nick were roughly seven miles away from the apartment complex when they turned down yet another street. On the right hand side sat the abandoned remnants of what was once an inner-city playground. Chain-link fence now surround the area, and weeds covered most of the grounds. With Mag-Lite's out, they scanned the area, but saw nothing. They were about to move on, when suddenly Nick caught a glimpse of something under one of the dismantled rusted slides.

"Hold up! Hold up! Over there, see that!" Nick yelled.

"Got it, let's go!" Jim exclaimed.

Jim wasn't sure if it was Tyler, but he didn't want to waste time looking for an opening in the fence, so he crashed his vehicle through the guarding chain link. _Fuck it; the city __can take the damage out of my paycheck. _Brass thought as his car careened through the fence, and pitched up dirt. The sedan hadn't come to a complete stop, and already Nick was jumping out of the vehicle. He ran to the corroded slide, and the aquamarine fabric that appeared to encase a small foot.

"It's him…we got him! Come on Tyler…come on little man…wake up for me. He's still breathing, but damn he's freezing." Nick ripped off his jacket, and wrapped it around the boy's frail little body.

Jim ran back to the car, and grabbed a blanket out of the trunk.

"Here wrap this around him, and let's get him in the car, I'll crank up the heat."

Tyler stirred slightly, and his teeth began to chatter as Nick carried him to the car. Brass immediately called dispatch, inform them Tyler had been found, and also requested paramedics to their location. He then started the car, and blasted the heat as high as it would go. Nick sat in the front seat of the car, and held Tyler as close as possible in hopes that his body heat would help the little boy.

"Come on Tyler, open your eyes for me. Come on little man, open those peepers." Nick encouraged, and Tyler stirred once more.

"That's it Ty, time to wake up for Nick and me." Tyler opened his beautiful chestnut eyes, turned a frighten face up at Nick, and tried to squirm from his grasp.

"Hey…hey it's ok Tyler, we're police officers. That's Jim, my name's Nick, and we've been looking everywhere for you." Tyler calmed swiftly, and settled down.

"I'm hungry." Little Tyler announced.

"I bet you are little man, we'll get you something to eat real soon, ok?" Nick replied. The boy shook his head, and snuggled in closer to Nick. Jim looked down at Nick with moist eyes, and saw the same heartbreak reflected back.

"Is mommy still sleeping? She wouldn't wake up."

"Don't worry about your mommy, she's just fine. Hey Tyler, how did you get all the way over here to the playground?" Jim questioned.

"I was really hungry, and mommy didn't wake up, and I went to Miss Dottie's, and she wasn't there, and then I walked around and around to find her but didn't find her, and then it got real dark out and I got lost." Jim made a note to check on who Miss Dottie was.

"Wow, I bet that was pretty scary." Nick said.

"It was…and I was real sleepy and cold, and it was dark and scary, and then I came in here and hid under that thing and went to sleep…and then you found me." Tyler proclaimed.

"Yeah we did buddy, and we are so happy to see you." Jim brokenly replied, as he ruffled the little boys brown hair.

"I'm happy too." Tyler beamed.

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A vast number of sirens wailed as they approached the abandoned playground, and Tyler became quite antsy at all the noise. Both men reassured him everything was ok, and that it was just a bunch of other people who would be glad to see him. Tyler seemed pleased with the idea, and peered over Nick's shoulder to watch all the flashing lights and excitement. Officers, detectives, even a few civilians all beamed at the sight of little Tyler sitting nestled in blankets on Nick's lap. Several news station trucks pulled up, their satellite dishes going up as fast as possible, as reporters ran to get the story. Brass quickly ordered his men to set up a perimeter to keep the media hounds out, and Nick pulled the blanket up closer to Tyler's face to avoid any photo ops. Fortunately the paramedic's arrived moments later, and their bus precluded any further attempts for photos by the media.

Tyler wasn't happy when the paramedics tried to remove him from Nick's arms, and he decided to put up quite a fuss, kicking and crying. One of the paramedics tried to reassure him, but he was having no part of it. Thankfully Nick came from a large family, with an abundance of nieces and nephews, and he knew exactly how to handle the situation.

"Tyler stop kicking, big boys don't do that. Everything's ok, they're not going to hurt you, I promise." Nick explained calmly. Tyler returned a skeptical look, but paid attention to Nick.

"Here's the deal Ty, this nice lady needs to make sure you're ok. She's going to check your temperature, and she'll probably use that stethoscope around her neck to listen to your heart and lungs. I bet if you're real nice to her, she'll even let you listen too…it's real cool to hear." Nick cajoled.

"I sure will let you listen, and it really is cool to hear." The female paramedic said with a wink. Tyler seemed warm to the idea.

"My name is Alida, but everyone calls me Alli. Now my partner over there, well his name is Mike, and he's going to bring this fun cart around for you to take a ride on, how does that sound to you?"

"Will Nick and Jim get to ride on fun carts too?" Tyler asked innocently.

"Nick and I have already ridden on the fun carts too many times, and sorry buddy, but you only get so many turns." Jim explained, as he quirked an eyebrow up at Nick.

"Are you ready to go for your ride Tyler?" Alli asked.

"Can Nick and Jim come…please?" Tyler begged.

Jim gave a nod for Nick to go ahead and ride to the hospital with the child. Until Child Services arrived, one of them had to remain with Tyler at all times.

"I'll ride with you partner, and Jim will follow us in a little bit, ok." Nick explained.

Tyler shook his head yes, and gave everyone a sweet dimpled smile. Jim gave the boy's hair another quick tussle, told him what a big boy he was being, and said he'd see him soon. As the ambulance pulled away, Brass walked over to his patrol officers and began doling out instructions and commands. He specifically asked Mitch to make sure his damaged vehicle was towed back to the precinct garage. With that out of the way, he proceeded to where the press was anxiously waiting, and was about to give a statement, but fortuitously Conrad Ecklie arrived on scene at the ideal moment. Jim hated dealing with the press, and for once, he was happy to see Ecklie. The two men spoke briefly, and Jim left Ecklie to the limelight he so dearly loved and craved. Once everything was under control, Brass had one of the patrols drive him to Desert Palms Hospital.

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Meanwhile, Nick's ride to the hospital with Tyler was a fairly uneventful trip. Alli checked Tyler's vitals, and as promised, she allowed him to listen to his heart. He only fretted once, and that was when Alli had to start an IV. Soon the trials of the day and the sway of the bus lolled the boy into exhausted sound sleep. As Tyler slept, Alli went about removing the boy's tattered aqua colored sleeper pajamas, and bagged them for Nick to take as evidence. She left his ratty, once white, underwear on, and began tending to various cuts and scrapes on his feet and hands. Several times she sighed, and shook her head in disgust.

"It always infuriates me when so precious a child has obviously been abused and neglected. If I had my way, I'd take this kid's parents out and publicly string them up." Alli stated crossly.

"You'd find a large percentage of population in agreement." Nick replied.

"And, you don't feel the same way! He's malnourished and dehydrated. Did you see the bruises on his arms, those bruises are from being grabbed and yanked around. He didn't have shoes on his feet, look at these cuts." Alli glared as she held up Tyler's small foot.

"I'm as angry and frustrated as you are, but I have to keep it together for his sake, and all the kids like him. I'm an investigator, and I'll document all of his injuries, all of the abuse, and hopefully his mother will never have custody of him again. If I start going all vigilante…no one wins."

"Point taken." Alli relented.

"Look Alli, if it's any consolation, it seems Tyler has a loving family back in Los Angeles, and they're on their way here now. They always wanted to take care of him, but they just couldn't find him. His mother took off with him, a few years back, and they've been searching ever since."

"Thank God, that's at least one out of thousands that stands a chance." Alli sighed.

"You have to take the wins when you can, ya know. Believe it or not, right now I'm walking on air, because this could've turned out much worse, and usually does."

Alli acknowledged Nick's comments, and a comfortable silence returned between the two. Nick reached over and picked up Tyler's hand, the perfect miniature digits looked so fragile next to his. He carefully rubbed his thumb over the delicate fingers, and smiled when the tiny hand attempted to squeeze his. _Yeah, it's ok now little man, you rest up, your family is on its way._ Nick thought with a smile.

When they arrived at Desert Palms, Tyler was immediately taken into one of the ER cubicles, and Nick was asked to wait outside. He explained to one of the attending physician who he was, and that he would need to document Tyler's injuries once they were finished with the examination. The doctor assured him, he would gladly allow Nick to do just that once they were certain Tyler was stable. Nick made his way to the waiting room, and was soon joined by Brass.

"I got a call from Command on the way over here, and it seems Tyler's family just arrived there, I have a car bringing them over here. They understand they won't be able to take Tyler home until Child Services investigates everything, but maybe Child Services will expedite the matter. I figure at least the family will be with Tyler, and he'll get to know them and see that somebody cares about his well-being." Jim remarked.

"I always knew behind that gruff exterior, lay a gentle heart." Nick said with a laugh.

"You know what Stokes…fuck you."

"No thanks, you don't have the right parts."

The two men laughed, and jabbed elbows at each other as they sat in the uncomfortable chairs of waiting room. A short time later, all laughs and joking was sucked away, when one of the nurses informed Nick that he could document Tyler's injuries. Nick found the boy still sleeping soundly, and he made quick work of documentation and evidence gathering. Before he left the room he gave Tyler a brief kiss on the forehead, and whispered…_It's going to be ok now Ty, your family is waiting, you take care, buddy." _

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As Nick was about to return to the waiting room, a nurse notified him that the family arrived, and they were taken to a small conference room down the corridor. When Nick entered the room, he saw Jim, and a doctor, speaking with Tyler's family. The family resemblance was evident, and their concern genuine. He chose to stay in the background until Jim and the doctor were finished, but could hear every word being said.

"Tyler will be ok physically, but right now he's dehydrated and malnourished. We're intravenously re-hydrating him, and we'll begin giving him supplements to counteract the malnutrition. He does have some cuts and bruises, and those have been attended to. Mercifully the exposure to the elements did not cause any lasting problems. His core temperature was low when he arrived, but has since stabilized. Over the next few days, we'll watch for any signs of infection, but as I said, physically he should be ok." The doctor explained.

"Oh thank God, and thank you and your staff for taking such good care of Tyler." The man, Nick assumed was the grandfather, said.

As the doctor left the room, Brass introduced Nick to the family, and they began explaining the details of the search for Tyler, and the situation with their daughter. John and Carrie Wyman (the grandparent) were aghast at the state of affairs their daughter caused.

"We can't apologize enough for the actions of our daughter, and the trouble she's caused. At one time Becca was a good girl, but all that changed when she started doing drugs. We tried to raise her right, Lord knows we tried, but she became a different person. We're a close family, and my other children have always done right, but Becca…well I just can't explain it." John Wyman sadly said.

"Mr. and Mrs. Wyman this is not your fault. We see this every day, and we don't blame you. Hopefully Becca will come to her senses, and one day be reunited with her son, but right now you need to concentrate all your attention on Tyler." Jim said.

"Absolutely, Captain Brass, and that is exactly what we'll do. Do you have any idea how long it will take for the State to give us custody of Tyler?" Carrie Wyman asked.

"No ma'am I don't, but Child Services will be here shortly, and I'm sure they'll be able to clear everything up for you. Now, if you have no further questions, my colleague and I need to head back to the station, but Officer Thompson will be staying with you." Brass explained.

"I don't think we have any more questions. Thank you both for all you and the police department did to find Tyler. Again, we apologize for our daughters actions." John Wyman expressed.

"If you have any questions, here's my card, you can call anytime." Jim offered.

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Jim and Nick were about to leave Desert Palms Hospital, to head back to the station, when they realized they had no means of transportation to do so.

"Shit, how stinking tired am I that I didn't realize we'd need a ride later?" Jim laughed.

"Hey man, you had a few things on your mind at the time. Taxi or do we call Catherine to pick us up." Nick questioned.

"No way am I pulling up at PD in a taxi, that's beneath my Captain rank. Give Catherine a call, plead our case, beg if necessary." Jim stated.

Thankfully, Catherine was more than happy to pick up the boys, and fifteen minutes later she pulled up in front of the hospital to do just that. On the way back to PD they discussed the evening events, and how for once a missing child case turned out right. It was nearing 5:00 a.m. when they enter the garage to PD, and though they were all exhausted, they still had paperwork to file. By 6:30 Jim had completed his paperwork, and went to the lab in search of Nick. He found him in one of the layout rooms logging evidence.

"You about ready to leave this dog and pony show Nicky?"

"I just have a few more pieces to log, and then I'm out of here." Nick said with a yawn.

"You want to grab some breakfast, or better yet, a drink." Jim asked.

"Thanks for asking Jim, and normally I would, but damn I'm just too tired. All I want to do is find my pillow. Sorry, man."

"Hey, not a problem, I should do the same. Jim said. He was about to leave, but turned back to say something else.

"You did a good job out there tonight. I know a case like this isn't easy for you, hell it's not easy for any of us, but you kept your cool, and didn't give up. I can't say I was always so confident we'd find the boy. You handled Tyler's anxiety like a pro, and trust me he'll remember that kindness, years from now. You did good Nicky, and don't forget it."

"Thanks Jim, that means alot to me."

Jim and Nick said their goodbyes, and a short time later Nick finished his paperwork and logging duties. He went to the locker room, grabbed a few things from his locker, and headed out to his SUV to make his way home. The sun was just rising, the air was still crisp, and a fine mist covered the city. Las Vegas truly was a city that never slept, and most people loved the bright lights and nightlife of the city, but Nick loved the mornings. The city felt clean in the morning, and the monsters of the night faded back into the dark crevices of their demonic existence.

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Nick knew he wouldn't be able to go to sleep right away when he got home. No matter how exhausted he was, he still needed time to unwind, especially after a night like this one. Only one place would settle his weary mind, and that was his patio.

Warm days and clean crisp nights always caused perfumed humidified vapors to rise up from the ground, and lay densely upon the backyard of Nick Stokes' modest home. He always relished these purging vapors after an agonizing shift at the Clark County Crime Lab, and this morning was no different. Halo's of sunlight created soft prisms of red, yellow, blue and purple, and welcomed him home as he opened the sliding glass door, and stood on the steps that led to his patio, a tall glass of orange juice in hand. Nick silently remained where he stood for a moment, and breathed in the earthy scent of early spring caressing the wetted air before he moved to the patio set to sit down.

"What a night." Nick said quietly to himself as he scrubbed a hand across his forehead.

He pulled his jacket closer to his body to keep the warmth in, and listened to the Morning Doves sing their love poems to each other. Nick took a sip of his orange juice, and smiled as he thought about what Jim said right before he left. He respected Jim immensely, and his statement about doing a good job meant the world to Nick. Brass was like a favorite uncle, he could tease and torment Nick endlessly, but he'd always have his back…no matter what.

Nick finished his juice, breathed in the fresh air a few more times, and made ready to head back inside to the warm comfort of his soft bed.

"Yeah it was a good day, we all did a good job last night, a little boy was saved and reunited with a family that loved him, and right now I'm walking on air."

The End

**Thank you for reading the story. **


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